Warrender, a successful merchant dealing in foreign trade, purchased Bruntsfield in 1675, later buying adjacent properties, and acquiring Lochend. In 1705 he was one of a syndicate to whom a three years’ farm of the customs and foreign excise of Scotland was assigned.
In Parliament Warrender voted with the Government in every recorded division, including that on the opposition motion of 4 June 1717, censuring Argyll’s rival, Lord Cadogan. After this vote he was reported by one of the followers of the Duke of Argyll to have been
in a terrible fright because of the temper he fears the town are in on account of his behaviour in the House ... The poor man had impudence enough to deny facts, as the only method he fancies is left to save his bacon.
More Culloden Pprs. ii. 173-4, 181.
Always anxious lest some incident in Edinburgh—a clash with the excise officers or an address to repeal the Act of Union—should create an unfavourable impression on the Government, he advised the magistrates ‘to shun extremes and to consider the need we have of favour’.
He died a year before the next general election, 4 Mar. 1721.